One Indian Girl by Chetan Bhagat

insecure.’
I realized my volume had increased. A body-builder-type white guy stared at us through his
bicep curls.
‘Do you have any idea how much I loved you?’ I said.
He kept quiet, his head down. I noticed the thick curls on his head. I continued, ‘I was ready to
quit my job. Just to make you happy. I came to Brooklyn to tell you I would resign. I wanted to
propose to you that night. You wanted a simple family. I was game. I even bought a ring.’
‘You did?’ he said, looking up, his eyes wide.
I shook my head.
‘All pointless, Debu. My family is upstairs. Can I go now? And I suggest you leave Goa soon
too.’
He grabbed my hand. I extracted it, almost in reflex.
‘What are you doing, Debu? My would-be in-laws are in this hotel.’
‘I know. I just.. .’ And then he did something I have never seen him do. He started to cry.
Puzzled gym trainers must have been wondering why a grown-up man was crying in their gym even
before he had begun to exercise.
‘Don’t make a scene, Debu,’ I said. I tried to remain unaffected, but to see him cry like this
choked me. He knelt on the floor.
‘Please, baby. Please, I beg you,’ Debu said. ‘I have come all the way from New York.’
I looked around. The last thing I wanted was anyone noticing us.
I held Debu by the shoulders.
‘Get up, please.’ I pulled him up.
I handed him one of the hand towels kept in the gym. He used it to wipe his face and compose
himself.
‘Stop being the victim here, Debu. Remember how you treated me? You would not take my
calls. You were rude on messages.’
He nodded his head vigorously.
‘You were, you were.. .’ I searched for the right word.
‘An asshole. Yes,’ he said.
‘Good. So now, you are doing these tears and trips. But how did you treat me earlier? Even on
my last day. I still remember. You sent me a thumbs-up smiley. That’s it.’
‘I said “I will miss you” ten minutes later. You didn’t reply.’
‘You did?’
‘Yeah. Why didn’t you reply?’
‘I tossed my phone in the river.’
‘What?’ I shook my head and threw my hands up.
‘No point digging up the past.’
‘Why not? After you, I tried to be with several people. I dated other girls. Nobody connected
with me like you did. Nobody had the complete package of qualities like you. You are smart, caring
and humble. You are easy to live with. You kept our little apartment so well. I still remember how you
gave me that surprise party when I got a promotion. Which girl does that?’
Anger filled me. I wanted to slap him. My arm tightened.
‘What? You want to slap me, right? Do it.’
I looked around. Everybody seemed busy with their own exercises. I lifted my hand and
slapped him hard across his cheek.